<< >> NASA ASRS Report 601807, December 2003

Flight crew of B752 on hyper STAR to iad misinterpret clearance to 'fly' the robrt transition as a clearance to descend 'via' the altitudes in the transition. An altitude deviation resulted.

Attributes
ACN	601807
Time
Date	200312
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	intersection : sigbe
State Reference	VA
Altitude	msl single value : 5600
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Weather Elements	Ice
Light	Night
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : pct.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B757-200
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Navigation In Use	other
Flight Phase	descent : intermediate altitude descent : approach
Route In Use	arrival star : hyper
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
ASRS Report	601807
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Events
Anomaly	altitude deviation : excursion from assigned altitude non adherence : published procedure non adherence : far non adherence : company policies non adherence : clearance
Independent Detector	other controllera
Resolutory Action	controller : issued new clearance
Supplementary
Problem Areas	FAA Chart Or Publication Flight Crew Human Performance Airspace Structure ATC Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance
Air Traffic Incident	Pilot Deviation

Narrative:

We were planning the hyper one arrival to iad and were instructed to cross mulrr at 250 KTS/10 mi. Before we got there we were cleared direct sigbe, cross sigbe at 7000 ft then fly the robrt FMS transition. At sigbe we began to descend to cross mowat at 5000 ft. At approximately 5600 ft the controller asked us what altitude we were cleared to. We said we were flying the transition as published. He told us we were cleared to 7000 ft. We stated we would climb back up and he then told us no, descend and maintain 5000 ft. Human factors for me were that the transition was changed unexpectedly. We were in the WX and I was trying to get set up for the new transition. Other things in the cockpit were adding to the rush of the letdown. I was sure that we were cleared the arrival. I did not make the distinction of fly the arrival versus cleared the arrival.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLT CREW OF B752 ON HYPER STAR TO IAD MISINTERPRET CLRNC TO 'FLY' THE ROBRT TRANSITION AS A CLRNC TO DSND 'VIA' THE ALTS IN THE TRANSITION. AN ALTDEV RESULTED.

Narrative: WE WERE PLANNING THE HYPER ONE ARR TO IAD AND WERE INSTRUCTED TO CROSS MULRR AT 250 KTS/10 MI. BEFORE WE GOT THERE WE WERE CLRED DIRECT SIGBE, CROSS SIGBE AT 7000 FT THEN FLY THE ROBRT FMS TRANSITION. AT SIGBE WE BEGAN TO DSND TO CROSS MOWAT AT 5000 FT. AT APPROX 5600 FT THE CTLR ASKED US WHAT ALT WE WERE CLRED TO. WE SAID WE WERE FLYING THE TRANSITION AS PUBLISHED. HE TOLD US WE WERE CLRED TO 7000 FT. WE STATED WE WOULD CLB BACK UP AND HE THEN TOLD US NO, DSND AND MAINTAIN 5000 FT. HUMAN FACTORS FOR ME WERE THAT THE TRANSITION WAS CHANGED UNEXPECTEDLY. WE WERE IN THE WX AND I WAS TRYING TO GET SET UP FOR THE NEW TRANSITION. OTHER THINGS IN THE COCKPIT WERE ADDING TO THE RUSH OF THE LETDOWN. I WAS SURE THAT WE WERE CLRED THE ARR. I DID NOT MAKE THE DISTINCTION OF FLY THE ARR VERSUS CLRED THE ARR.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.